Severus Snape

Template:HP character Severus Snape is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. In the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he is one of the primary antagonists. As the series progresses, Snape's motivation grows unclear and Rowling does not fully reveal his true loyalties until the end of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Snape appears in all seven novels of the series.

Over the course of the series, Snape evolves from a malicious and partisan teacher who unfairly punishes Harry and other students he dislikes (while favouring Slytherin students) into a pivotal character of considerable complexity and moral ambiguity. Rowling has described him as "a gift of a character".

Character development

Rowling said in an interview that she drew inspiration for Snape's character from a disliked teacher from her own childhood. For Snape's surname, Rowling borrowed the name from the village of Snape in the English county of Suffolk.

Numerous times Rowling hinted at Snape's important role, suggesting that people should "keep an eye on Snape". However, because his true loyalties and motivations were not to be revealed until the final book, she was less forthcoming about him than she was for other characters.

In a 1999 question and answer session, Rowling singled out Snape as one of her favourite characters to write besides Harry Potter, saying "It's fun to write about Snape because he's a deeply horrible person."

Appearances

See also: Chronology of the Harry Potter stories.

First three books

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Snape performing a counter-jinx on Harry's broom while Quirrell (back right) jinxes it in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Severus Snape is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the first named Hogwarts’ teacher in the story when Harry Potter arrives at the school. Snape is the Potions Master at Hogwarts, though he is widely rumoured to covet the post of Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Snape himself confirms the rumour in a later book. Snape is a malicious, partisan teacher, and makes frequent snide and disparaging remarks at Harry's expense. Snape quickly becomes one of the main antagonists of the book as Harry suspects him of plotting to steal the Philosopher's stone, and of attempting to kill him. During a Quidditch game, Snape appears to be muttering a jinx, which makes Harry's broom shake wildly. In fact, Professor Quirrell, in league with Voldemort, is the one working the jinx on Harry, while Snape is muttering a counter-jinx. In the book's final chapter, Dumbledore suggests that because Harry's father saved Snape's life even though the two detested each other, Snape protected Harry as a way to balance the scales. As the final book reveals, this is not the full story. In any case, even after Quirrell reveals himself as the real enemy, Harry retains lingering feelings of suspicion and resentment towards Snape, and their relationship remains tense. Snape's behaviour and attitude towards Harry also remain unchanged.

Snape plays a minor role in both Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In Chamber of Secrets, Snape helps Gilderoy Lockhart oversee Hogwarts' short-lived Duelling Club, but has little interaction with the main plot. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Snape's expertise with potions is utilised to brew Wolfsbane Potion for Remus Lupin. Snape harbours a deep suspicion throughout the third book that Lupin may be assisting Sirius Black in entering Hogwarts castle, believing that Black intends to kill Harry. This suspicion stems from Lupin's friendship with Sirius and Harry's father James while they were all at Hogwarts as students. Near the climax of the book, Snape attempts to apprehend Black. Snape believes Black is responsible for murdering innocent bystanders and betraying the Potter family's hiding place to Voldemort. When Black escapes, Snape rightly accuses Harry of aiding him, still believing that Black is a mass murderer. After Harry and Lupin escape punishment for their actions, Snape reveals to the entire school that Lupin is a werewolf in retaliation, forcing the latter to resign his post as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Prisoner of Azkaban reveals more details about the connection between Snape and James Potter. While in school together, Sirius once tricked Snape into going to the Shrieking Shack while Lupin was there, transformed into a werewolf. James realised the danger and stopped Snape, saving his life. Snape, however, believes James's actions were self-serving, to avoid being expelled.

Fourth and fifth books

Snape's role in the fourth novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is not substantially different from that of the previous two books. Although he is apoplectic when Harry is unexpectedly entered into the Triwizard Tournament, this only makes him even more vindictive than usual. Later Harry uses Dumbledore's Pensieve to view memories of several Death Eater trials from years before. At one point, Snape is named as a Death Eater by Igor Karkaroff, but Dumbledore comes to Snape's defence, claiming that although Snape had indeed been a Death Eater, he changed sides before Voldemort's downfall and turned spy against him. Dumbledore assures Harry that Snape's reformation is genuine, though he refuses to tell Harry how he knows this, saying the information "is a matter between Professor Snape and myself".

At the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore attempts to convince a disbelieving Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, that Lord Voldemort has returned. As proof, Snape willingly shows Fudge the renewed Dark Mark on his arm, and is subsequently sent on a secret mission by Dumbledore. This mission, as implied in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was to rejoin the Death Eaters and spy on Voldemort as a triple agent, pretending to spy on Dumbledore on behalf of Voldemort.

In the fifth novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Snape returns to a more prominent role. With Voldemort having returned to a fully corporeal body, Snape continues working as a triple agent for Dumbledore. He is seen prior to the start of school at Number 12, Grimmauld Place giving reports to the Order of the Phoenix. He does not get along with other members of the Order, and has a very strained relation with Sirius Black, who owns Grimmauld Place and must remain there in hiding. The two trade frequent snide remarks and insults, and at one point almost begin a duel. Snape taunts Sirius about Sirius not being able to take an active role in the Order's missions due to his fugitive status, and Harry felt that this contributed to Sirius' willingness to take unsafe risks. Many members of the Order voice doubts about Snape, but remark that Dumbledore trusts him, though they seem to be at a loss to understand why. Back at school, Snape's official allegiance to the Order has no effect on his dislike for Harry, whom he victimises as never before.

Later in the book, Dumbledore has Snape teach Harry Occlumency, the protection of the mind from outside intrusion or influence. Snape is extremely skilled in both Occlumency and its companion art of Legilimency, the discerning of thoughts and feelings from another's mind; both invaluable in his work as a spy. The sessions are made difficult by their mutual hostility and end prematurely when Harry uses Dumbledore's Pensieve to view, without Snape's permission, a childhood memory of Snape being bullied by James Potter and Sirius Black, and of him insulting Lily Evans (Harry's mother). The full context of the event would not be revealed until the final book, but the event was the final straw that broke Snape's already straining friendship with Lily; neither Harry nor the reader is aware, at this point, that a friendship even existed. After he discovers Harry viewing the memory, Snape grows even more vindictive towards Harry, at one point deliberately breaking one of his bottles of potion to ensure he fails an assignment.

When Professor Umbridge captures Harry and questions him on the whereabouts of Albus Dumbledore, she sends for Snape to provide a truth serum to force Harry to reveal any information he may be hiding. Snape claims that his supplies of Veritaserum are exhausted, used up when she last attempted to surreptitiously drug Harry to get information out of him, and withholds further assistance: "Unless you wish to poison Potter—and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did—I cannot help you." (It is later revealed that he had in fact supplied Umbridge with fake Veritaserum on that prior attempt, although as Harry did not drink it, neither of them discovered this deception). Snape carries Harry's cryptic warning about Sirius's capture to the other Order members, allowing them to come to the rescue in the Department of Mysteries.

Sixth book

In the opening chapters of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy visit Snape at his home in Spinner's End. Narcissa's son Draco has been given a difficult task by Voldemort, and Narcissa swears Snape to an Unbreakable Vow that he will protect Draco, help him complete Voldemort's task, and finish the task himself if Draco fails. Snape claims to have been working for Voldemort (rather than for Dumbledore) ever since Voldemort's return, and explains his actions in the previous books in that light.

At the Start-of-term feast at Hogwarts, Dumbledore announces he has finally appointed Snape as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Horace Slughorn, a retired Hogwarts teacher, replaces Snape as Potions Master. Slughorn lends Harry an old Potions textbook, in which Harry finds marginalia including a variety of hexes and jinxes seemingly invented by an unknown student, and substantial improvements to the book's standard potion-making instructions. The book is inscribed "Property of the Half-Blood Prince." The notes greatly bolster Harry's performance and he impresses Slughorn. Snape, who maintains that he "never had the impression that [he] had been able to teach Potter anything at all", is suspicious of Harry's newfound potions success.

Later, in a fight with Draco Malfoy, Harry casts one of the Prince's spells (Sectumsempra) marked "For Enemies" and is horrified when it causes devastating wounds to Draco's face and chest. Snape arrives and heals Draco's wounds, then interrogates Harry about the source of the spell, using Legilimency to extract the source of Harry's knowledge (the Potions textbook) from Harry's mind. As Harry refuses to hand over the Half-Blood Prince's book, Snape puts him in detention during the final Quidditch match of the year.

Returning to Hogwarts after a search for one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, Harry and Dumbledore alight on the school's astronomy tower. Gravely weakened by Voldemort's protective potion, Dumbledore asks Harry to fetch Snape. Before Harry can leave, Draco Malfoy suddenly arrives intending to carry out Voldemort's ordered assassination of Dumbledore, but cannot bring himself to commit the murder. The arrival of Death Eaters and Snape interrupt them. When it is clear that Malfoy will not kill Dumbledore, Snape kills the headmaster himself. An enraged Harry (who had been paralysed by Dumbledore and witnessed the killing while under his invisibility cloak) chases Snape, Malfoy, and the Death Eaters as they flee the castle. Snape easily blocks Harry's attempts to attack him with magic and even points out Harry's mistakes, but refuses to strike back. During the confrontation, Snape reveals himself the "Half-Blood Prince" (being the son of Muggle Tobias Snape and pure-blood Eileen Prince). Harry is unable to stop Snape before the latter passes through the school gates and Disapparates.

It is revealed in the final book of the series that Dumbledore had been afflicted by a powerful curse cast on the Peverell ring, one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, prior to the start of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Although Snape's knowledge of the Dark Arts enabled him to slow the spread of the curse, Snape could not stop it and the curse would have killed Dumbledore within a year. Dumbledore, cognizant that Voldemort had ordered Draco Malfoy to kill him, asked Snape to kill him instead before the curse spread, as an act of mercy. Although Snape was reluctant, he agreed to do as Dumbledore requested.

Seventh book

In the aerial battle early in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, George Weasley's ear is cursed off by Snape. It is later revealed that Snape had been aiming at a Death Eater's wand hand. When the Ministry of Magic falls to the Death Eaters just prior to the school year, Snape is named Headmaster of Hogwarts, and appoints Death Eaters Amycus and Alecto Carrow to the staff, teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts (described by Neville Longbottom as just "The Dark Arts" now) and Muggle Studies, respectively. The novel later reveals that Snape uses his position as Headmaster to protect the students and to contain the Carrows.

In the course of the book, Harry and Ron are led to find the Sword of Godric Gryffindor by a patronus taking the form of a doe. Harry later learns that this was Snape's patronus, and that he had been tasked by Dumbledore with ensuring that Harry gained possession of the sword.

Towards the end of the school year, Professor McGonagall and two other teachers force Snape to flee the school. Voldemort summons Snape to the Shrieking Shack and, erroneously believing Snape is the master of the Elder Wand, betrays Snape and has his pet snake Nagini kill him thinking this would make him the master of the Wand. Snape, dying from his wounds, releases a cloud of memories which Harry collects in a flask and then views in the Pensieve in the Headmaster's office.

From these memories, Harry sees Snape's childhood and learns of his true loyalties. Harry observes that Snape befriended Lily Evans, Harry's mother, as a child when they lived near to each other. Upon their arrival at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat placed Snape and Lily into Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses, respectively. They remained friends for the next few years until they were driven apart by Snape's interest in the Dark Arts; the friendship finally ended following the bullying episode that Harry had briefly seen in the fifth book.

Despite this separation and Snape's loathing of Lily's eventual husband James Potter, who had bullied Snape at Hogwarts, Snape remained in love with Lily. When Snape told his master of the prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney, Voldemort decided to attack the Potters in an attempt to prevent its fulfilment. Though he asked Voldemort to spare Lily, Snape, still fearing for her safety, went to Dumbledore and begged him to protect the Potters. Dumbledore agreed and ensured that they were placed under the Fidelius Charm.

In return, Snape became a double agent for the Order of the Phoenix against Voldemort, using his powers of Occlumency to hide his betrayal from Voldemort. Snape felt responsible for Lily's death when the Fidelius charm was broken. Despite Harry's strong resemblance to James Potter, the fact that he was Snape's only enduring connection to Lily (and the fact that Harry inherited his mother's eyes) made Snape protect him throughout the series, despite their mutual animosity. Snape demanded of Dumbledore, however, that his love for Lily, his reason for switching sides, be kept a secret.

Dumbledore agreed, and kept the secret throughout the series. Snape's memories provide Harry with the information he needs to ensure Voldemort's final defeat, in the form of conversations Snape had with Dumbledore.

Rowling noted in an online interview that because Snape abandoned his post before dying or officially retiring, a portrait of him does not immediately appear in the Headmaster's office following his death. She adds, however, that she would like to think Harry made Snape's true loyalty and heroism known in the Wizarding world, and that he lobbied to ensure that a portrait be installed in the office.

Epilogue

In the epilogue to The Deathly Hallows, set 19 years after Harry defeated Voldemort, Harry's second born son has received the name Albus Severus, after Dumbledore and Snape. As Albus is about to enter his first year at Hogwarts, he expresses concern that he will be sorted into Slytherin. Harry tells him that he was "named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them [Snape] was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

In film

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Severus Snape protecting Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

As of 2007, Severus Snape has appeared in all five Harry Potter films, portrayed by British actor Alan Rickman. Rickman is one of the few Harry Potter actors that Rowling spoke to prior to the completion of the series about the future direction of his character. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the teenaged Snape (portrayed by Alec Hopkins) makes a brief appearance in a flashback to Snape’s youth.

Attributes

Physical appearance

Snape is described as being hook-nosed, with sallow skin, black eyes, uneven yellow teeth, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair. His build is described as thin, adorning black-robes; appearing "like an overgrown bat". The youthful Snape is described as having a "stringy, pallid look", being "round-shouldered yet angular", having a "twitchy" walk "that recalled a spider" and "long oily hair that jumped about his face".

In the chapter illustrations by Mary GrandPré in the American edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Snape is depicted as balding with a goatee, but in the next novel, Half-Blood Prince, he is depicted with long black hair.

Personality

Snape is generally depicted as thoroughly cruel, unpleasant, sarcastic, and bitter. As Head of Slytherin house, he is an icon for his own students. The other houses strongly dislike him. Though usually calm and collected, his temper is sometimes short where Harry Potter and his friends are concerned. Snape displays a particularly strong dislike of Harry and often insults him by insulting the memory of his father, James Potter. As the series progresses, it is revealed that his treatment of Harry stems from Snape's bitter rivalry with James when they were in school together. In particular, James and Sirius Black both of whom gave Snape the demeaning nickname Snivellus bullied Snape. Snape also perceives Harry as arrogant and a rule-breaker "like his father", and a mediocre wizard, further fuelling his dislike. Dumbledore suggests Snape is "see[ing] what [he] expects to see". Harry's generally mediocre performance in Snape's classes seems to be the result of observer effect, as the former tends to do better when Snape is not making him nervous.

Snape's temper flares when dealing with his erstwhile tormentor Sirius. Snape trades frequent snide remarks and insults with Sirius. Snape invariably replies angrily when accused of cowardice. Otherwise, he is collected and in control, rarely at a loss for words or taken off guard.

In the classroom, Snape is capricious and impatient. J. K. Rowling described Snape as a "horrible teacher".

Alan Rickman, who has portrayed Snape in the films and had discussions with J.K. Rowling about the character, stated Snape is at heart an insecure person, who longs to be something people will respect. J.K. Rowling likewise described the young Snape as insecure and vulnerable:

"Given his time over again [Snape] would not have become a Death

Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people (like Wormtail) he craved membership of something big

and powerful, something impressive. [...] [H]e was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought [Lily] would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater."

Asked if she considers Snape a hero, Rowling replied:

"Yes, I do; though a very flawed hero. An anti-hero, perhaps. He is not a particularly likeable man in many ways. He remains rather cruel, a bully, riddled with bitterness and insecurity — and yet he loved, and showed loyalty to that love and, ultimately, laid down his life because of it. That’s pretty heroic!"

Magical abilities

All seven novels show Snape to be a very powerful wizard, and to have been talented while a student. He specialises in potion making and has a talent and passion for the Dark Arts. As a student at Hogwarts he is shown to have a gift for creating new spells, including Sectumsempra and the non-verbal Levicorpus and Liberacorpus. Skilful in the arts of Legilimency and Occlumency, Snape is able to both access the minds of others, and protect his own thoughts. Indeed, though Snape does not care for the term himself, Harry forms the uncomfortable impression early in the series that the Potions master is able to "read minds." As an Occlumens, Snape is able to keep his betrayal from Voldemort, a very skilled Legilimens. Snape is the only Death Eater able to produce a Patronus, which, like Lily Potter's, is a doe. Snape is shown to be a talented duellist, able to hold off by himself (if only briefly) a group of three Hogwarts Professors that included former duelling champion Filius Flitwick.

Loyalties

Snape's true loyalty was one of the most significant questions in the series up until the end of the final instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Although the first five novels depict him as unpleasant, unfair, and vindictive, Snape invariably comes through and helps or protects Harry. Several characters express doubts about his loyalty, but Dumbledore's trust in him is generally taken as the final word. The sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, departs from that model. In an early chapter, Snape claims to have been working for Voldemort ever since his return, and only pretending to help Dumbledore.By killing Dumbledore towards the end of the novel Snape seems to place himself firmly in Voldemort's camp. Rowling maintains this impression through the early chapters of the seventh novel.

Because Snape left Harry his dying thoughts (to be viewed in the Pensieve), Snape ultimately reveals to Harry that he had been loyal to Albus Dumbledore throughout the series. This is later confirmed by the Dumbledore Harry meets in a limbo-like King's Cross station after the latter is mortally wounded by Voldemort. Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore stems from his fierce devotion to and love of his childhood friend, Lily Evans. After Snape reported to Voldemort a partially overheard prophecy that predicted the latter's defeat, Snape realised that Voldemort's conclusion that the prophecy referred to the Potters meant the Potters would be killed. Snape asked Voldemort to spare Lily, but still feared she would not survive the attack. Snape's fear for her safety drove him to Dumbledore. Because of Lily's murder, Snape ended his allegiance to Voldemort. He vowed to assist Dumbledore in protecting Lily's surviving son, Harry.

External links

• Severus_Snape on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
• Snape Character profile from the Harry Potter Lexicon
• Interviews in which Rowling has given information about Snape from accio-quote.org